Today’s Daily Hampshire Gazette includes this letter from NSNA member Adam Cohen. Links have been added for convenient reference. To the editor: The new zoning proposed for Northampton’s urban residential neighborhoods may well give flexibility to owners of one- to four-family homes, but it also gives too much latitude to developers of larger projects. Bad […]

Northampton’s Planning Board approved zoning changes for urban residential districts URA, URB and URC. The package includes an amendment to require Special Permits for developments of 7+ units. The proposal will next be revisited by the City Council’s Ordinance Committee at its June 10 meeting. Here is a YouTube video of the Planning Board meeting […]

Here is a YouTube video of the complete May 13 meeting of Northampton’s Committee on Elections, Rules, Ordinances, Orders & Claims, followed by a joint meeting of the committee with the Planning Board. Here is the agenda of these meetings. This video was recorded by Ruth McGrath. The joint meeting with the Planning Board begins […]

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This Atlantic Cities article is a good read, especially item 5: Respect neighborhood character & identity. “Lack of identity or a negative identity makes increasing neighborhood density difficult. A development that challenges or changes a community’s identity architecturally or in terms of land use can undermine the very thing that attracts residents to the neighborhood. […]

From Northampton’s Office of Planning and Sustainability: Proposed zoning amendments in the residential districts have been submitted to City Council. These changes reflect the ongoing conversation about modifying regulations to reflect the existing neighborhood districts surrounding Florence Center, downtown Northampton and neighborhoods in between. The official proposal for public hearing has been modified from the […]

Jerry Budgar, president of the Ward Three Neighborhood Association, circulated these comments to Northampton ward and neighborhood groups this week: I just want to give everyone a heads-up that a package of rezoning proposals that would, in some instances, substantially increase density in many areas of the city has been introduced to the City Council […]

Ordinances for higher-density zoning in Urban Residential Districts A, B and C will go before Northampton’s City Council on April 18. Wards 1-4, downtown Florence and downtown Leeds can expect the greatest impact. See the zoning map. It is expected that these ordinances will be referred for review to the Planning Board, the Committee on […]

This message was circulated to city officials today from the Ward 3 Neighborhood Association. See the proposed residential district zoning changes in the Northampton Planning and Development web pages under Hot Topics. November 27, 2012 Dear Mayor David Narkewicz, City Council President William Dwight, Ward 3 City Councilor Owen Freeman-Daniels, and City Councilor at Large […]

On October 22, 2012, the Chief Justice of the Land Court, Karen F. Scheier, issued a Decision in favor of the Plaintiffs in the case of Elizabeth C. Waldron, et al. v. Northern Avenue Homes, Inc., et al., 08 MISC 374551 (KFS). The Plaintiffs in the lawsuit questioned whether Northern Avenue Homes, Inc., and Living […]

Here is a YouTube video of the complete 9/17/12 meeting of Northampton’s Committee on Social Services & Veterans Affairs (click for the agenda). This video is 2 hour 10 minutes long and was recorded by Mary Likins. A discussion of heroin abuse at Northampton High School begins at 1:25:25 on the video. The committee hears […]